tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post4248522675490459096..comments2015-03-03T13:17:15.879-08:00Comments on Raising Matt Cain: In Defense of SabeanM.C. O'Connorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12258035192484655635noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-39053739783249820422008-01-23T11:07:00.000-08:002008-01-23T11:07:00.000-08:00Yeah, stockpiling young arms is good. Neglecting ...Yeah, stockpiling young arms is good. Neglecting the scouting staff is not. Signing washed up old farts is also bad. How do I know we have no statistical staff? AJP. No self-respecting stat nerd would have called AJP an all-star. If we had stat guys, we might have passed on that trade, since Yorvit and the rest could deliver nearly equal offense. Molina our MVP? Find me a stat nerd that bought that crap when BLB led the league in OPS. When we had Galarraga, he adding offense to our team. Sabes, hopelessly in love with JT's glove, refused to recognize his paltry offense was killing us. If we had a stat staff, we might have been spared that nonsense. I say MIGHT. It seems obvious to me that little or no real statistcal work is done evaluating players. That is unacceptable in the 21st century of baseball. We signed Rowand because he was available, not because he brings high value (either offense or defense). No markers exist anywhere that demonstrate his value as being significantly better than an average player. But our brilliant GM wants him anyway, because he's a "warrior." Pathetic.M.C. O'Connorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12258035192484655635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-9966396204989721972008-01-22T14:50:00.000-08:002008-01-22T14:50:00.000-08:00One more thing - the Giants have been consistently...One more thing - the Giants have been consistently built to WIN NOW throughout Barry's Giant career. Arguably, now that Barry's Giant career is over, in retrospect it doesn't seem like the best idea, and, they should have had a plan anyway. Apparently, the plan was to stockpile young pitchers and use them as currency. That may not be the best, most complete plan, but for an incomplete plan, it's as good as any other. I agree about leadership failure, but how do you know we have no statistical staff? I forgot about "veteran presence" and gloves winning baseball games. If I were a GM, I'd use those, too. Especially "veteran presence."zonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941261488380355005.post-90160840258906299452008-01-22T11:54:00.000-08:002008-01-22T11:54:00.000-08:00Mendocino, baby, or Maui-Wowie. Or maybe that sku...Mendocino, baby, or Maui-Wowie. Or maybe that skunky Oaxacan you brought back . . .<BR/><BR/>Seriously, while bashing the Mighty Sabes is a favorite sport here at RMC, the Zo-meister has a few good points. The Kent, Snow, Schmidt and LHernandez acquisitions were all big-time plusses, and helped us win. The World Series debacle was not Sabes' fault. Some of the cheesy pick-ups like Tucker may have been due to tightwad owners, not the GM.<BR/><BR/>BUT: Barry Bonds fooled us all in to believing the Giants had a quality "brain trust." He was SO GOOD that he lifted mediocre teams into the playoff hunt. Management deserves blame for failing to see that (they are supposed to be smarter than fans). In 2003, Sidney Ponson was the "answer" to our rotation weaknesses. Gag me!<BR/><BR/>The brain trust has no clue about how to evaluate offensive talent. The big FA signings were--or will be--duds (Alfonzo, Durham, Rowand), but looked good "on paper." Hire some fucking sabremetricians fer chrissakes. Or better yet, get out of the way and let new blood take over (Paul DePodesta, anyone?)<BR/><BR/>Consistenly we are told that glovework wins games (Snow, Feliz, Vizquel, Rowand). It won't. BATS and ARMS win games. Glovework should be the LAST piece. A GM in love with the glove is either a fool or behind the times. Neither is acceptable.<BR/><BR/>"Hard-nosed" ballplayers are a great sell, but TALENT wins. Is Manny Ramirez "hard-nosed?" Does it matter? Same for "veteran presence." My god, do we really have to buy that crap? Does he really believe it (slit wrists now) or just say it to shut up fans (fuck you, asshole)?<BR/><BR/>I was a Sabes Fan "back in the day." But as Barry aged, it became clear that the team had no post-BLB plan. That is a LEADERSHIP FAILURE. The team has lousy scouts, no real farm prospects, and no statistcal staff. That, too, is a LEADERSHIP FAILURE. Finally, GMs working with less (Oak, Min, Col, AZ) get more done. So our brain trust does not stack up to the their peers.<BR/><BR/>Final analysis? BRRRRAAAAAAAAP! (That's a raspberry.) I say hire DePodesta away from SD, and the sooner the better.M.C. O'Connorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12258035192484655635noreply@blogger.com